After many test rides and months of research, I have brought myself a Giant TCR Advance 1 2011. The bike weight just under 8kg (7. including pedals and other add-ons.

Can I get advise on what would be the next most important bike upgrade, as I mostly do hill climb and sometimes on the flats? My friends asked be to change wheels; however, with so many brands out there. What would be the best clincher wheels for around $1500AUD?

Hi MarpanI have also recently purchased the Giant TCR Advanced road bike (in the Rabobank team colours). Fantastic bike to ride on so far, expecially after riding the aluminium Defy for 18 months.While I had the Defy, I bought a set of American Classic Sprint 350 aluminium rim clincher wheels. They weigh only 1452g (no skewers, tyres or tubes). They are almost the lightest aluminium rimmed wheels you can get - I think they are about 400g lighter than the RS20 wheels that come standard on the TCR Advanced.They are fantastic wheels for hills and spin up very easily for the flat-lands. I am yet to try them on the new bike as I waiting for a new 10sp cassette but I am sure they will offset the loss of the compact crankset I had on the Defy.The wheels cost me (with tyres & tubes) less than $1100.Hope this helps

I ride the 2010 TCR adv. 1 frame with nothing orginal on it apart from the actual frame set incl. aero seat post and it now weighs 7.04kg which is plenty enough light weight- the rest is now up to me.......

I opted for custom built TWE 50mm full carbon clinchers. At 1380 grams (my scales) they came in around 150 odd grams lighter than the Mavic Ksyrium Elites they replaced. I'm a broken record on this forum about these wheels, plenty light enough for climbing, aero for speeds beyond 30km/hr and reliable after 2,000km+ I paid $1600 for mine a while back - maybe same spec wheels are $100 more now - ask Greg at TWE in Sydney (and no, I'm not on commission payments for TWE)

I didn't set my bike up for weight loss per se, more so for comfort on my part. 7.04kg is just a figure.

open roader wrote:I opted for custom built TWE 50mm full carbon clinchers. At 1380 grams (my scales) they came in around 150 odd grams lighter than the Mavic Ksyrium Elites they replaced. I'm a broken record on this forum about these wheels, plenty light enough for climbing, aero for speeds beyond 30km/hr and reliable after 2,000km+ I paid $1600 for mine a while back - maybe same spec wheels are $100 more now - ask Greg at TWE in Sydney (and no, I'm not on commission payments for TWE)

+1 for the TWE 50mm option (not on Commission either ), I have got a set at1350g on my scale, I have ridden Mavic Cosmic Carbones, Dura-Ace's, Bouwmeester Tubulars and Zipp 404's, the TWE's are quicker and smoother than all of them in my humble opinion.

Also consider Speedplay pedals. Save a bit of weight, but as far of a comfort & usability goes, best upgrade I have made.

The standard 2011 TCR ADV 1 comes with Shimano RS80 that weigh 1516gm according to Shimano (the end of model Rabobank special had RS20's). If looking at climbing deep dish carbons are probably not the best choice and most will weigh more than the stock wheels at that price point.

What's the big deal with weight. You have already got a light bike. Spend $2K on Zipps to save 500g! Ditch your drink bottle and you have the same effect. Save the light gear for racing and harden up the training and you will find weight loss from other areas.

If you don't want to upgrade your drive train/groupset (Ultegra 6700 is pretty good already), you can always do the basic stuff, bar, stem, saddle, pedals, wheels and tyres. I recently did all that and shaved about 800g off the bike without touching the 6700 grouppo (it's a light-ish carbon frameset but had weighty finishing kit on it). Of course it depends on how light your stock components are in the first place. You can actually save a lot of weight by having good tyres, and that's rotational weight too (e.g Vittoria Diamante Pro). I am a super light rider so I don't have problems with punctures or wear on lightweight tyres. Like others have said, Speedplays will shave a few grams as well, it also saves my dodgy knees!

And don't you guys tell me to lose weight, I am the same height as Contador and I am 6kg lighter than him, without the abilities of course...maybe I should start eating Spanish beef I don't upgrade my bike because I want to go faster, I do it because I like my bike and it feels good to have a light, good looking bike.

scottpilot10 wrote:What's the big deal with weight. You have already got a light bike. Spend $2K on Zipps to save 500g! Ditch your drink bottle and you have the same effect.

Then you don't have a drink bottle. This is the same stupid comment I see brought out whenever the topic of weight comes up... It's entirely irrelevant. If the OP wants to spend money on his bike, who are you to tell him not to?

grnis200 wrote:I haven't looked at Giants in the last 12 months but when I bought mine the Adv SL 1 was only $1500 more than the Advanced 1 and I got Dura-ace and 7900 rims.

An SL with full DA is much lighter and all I've upgraded is lightweight skewers. (And that was only because the red looked good with the existing red highlights.

What are you on about. Just making conversation? Marpan's already bought the Advance 1. I know. You're in love with your bike aren't you. I think your condition is listed in the DSM as "velophilia", and if its not it should be. It's a well recognised syndrome. All conversation centres on, returns to and is precipitated by your favourite ride. All your time is spent either riding or pouring over the web. You have one of those saddles with a vagina ....

grnis200 wrote:I haven't looked at Giants in the last 12 months but when I bought mine the Adv SL 1 was only $1500 more than the Advanced 1 and I got Dura-ace and 7900 rims.

An SL with full DA is much lighter and all I've upgraded is lightweight skewers. (And that was only because the red looked good with the existing red highlights.

What are you on about. Just making conversation? Marpan's already bought the Advance 1. I know. You're in love with your bike aren't you. I think your condition is listed in the DSM as "velophilia", and if its not it should be. It's a well recognised syndrome. All conversation centres on, returns to and is precipitated by your favourite ride. All your time is spent either riding or pouring over the web. You have one of those saddles with a vagina ....

or I could be entirely wrong.

My point is he should've just bought the next model up that comes with C24 wheels (1380g), the lighter DA groupset and lighter bits like carbon stem and bars.

My upgrade advice, but the DA C24 rims for just under $1k and a compact crankset. It's lighter and better gear for uPhill

Interpretation is a wonderful thing, eh? Tell me where I was having a go at Giants, or the guy who bought one. What I said is someone who is serious about weight weenie-ism would forgo the Giant for a Cannondale SuperSix, Scott Addict or the like - both are much lighter frames. I'm also not saying he should have bought something else - the point is you've got a great bike, now stop worrying about what the scales say and just ride the damned thing.FWIW I find Giants about as interesting as your Grandmother's Toyota Corolla, in white with Frangipani stickers on the back window. I'm sure they're fine bikes by themselves, but when every second or third bike is a GIANT things get a little same same.And on the subject of Avantis, the Garmin-Chipotle Felt parked next to the Carbonio in the shop looked soooo nice, but I couldn't go past Dura-Ace 7800 all around with 7801-SL wheels, carbon bars and a full carbon frame for $3500. Sure the frame turned out to be very flexy, but when it cracked and Avanti upgraded me to a 2009 frame (which rides just as well, if not better than my old man's S-Works Roubaix) I stopped caring about the sticker on the frame

Add another 350 to 400 for forks with a race and your in the same ball park there is no way thats 1050 with forks and race. Have a look at the tests in Ride magazine(they weigh the bits) any frame around or under a Kilo is very light forks with races are around 350-400. Examples S works Venge Frames 1103 forks with race 342, Scott Foil frame 986, fork 326(light forks), Merckx EMX5 1188, 409, BMC SL01 1158, 368, Makes the mid level advanced frame and fork look pretty good IMHO Imagine apples for apples with the SL frame ! Don't kid yourself they maybe like toyotas but are as light as any out there. A 2011 Advanced one (m) off the floor was 7.1kg in a medium and cost around 3K out the door with 6700 ultegra and RS 80's thats why you see so many.

Marty Moose wrote:Hey Rob I spoke to a mate of mine who has a super six he told me cannondale claim 695 for the frame Add a bit for manufactures claim but still very light. He's broken 5 of them though